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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUSTIN D. HOFFMAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ALONZO PELTON AND A. J. POMEROY, OF SAME PLACE.

PIANO-STOOL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 235,360, dated December 14, 1880.

Application filed September 30, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known lthat I, AUSTIN D.- HQFEMAN, of Chicago, Illinois, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Piano Stools 5 and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention has for its object toprovide,

in a piano-stool, a support for the back ofthe performer, vertically and horizontally adjust able. To this end it consists, first, in combination with the seat andback support, of a socket applied to the seat to receive the horizontal end of the back-support, and a clamp-screw by which said horizontal end of the back-support is adjustably held in the socket 5 and, secondly, in combination with the support, of the back provided with the socket-plate and set-screw placed at one margin of the back, whereby the back is vertically adjustable upon its support both by direct bodily movement and by being turned upside down, as'will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a rear elevation of a piano-stool provided with my improvement. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, and Fig. 3 is a central section through the back and seat and through points of attachment of the spring'.

A is the central standard of the stool, and T is the seat, having the standard-screw, by which the seat is raised and lowered in the usual manner.

It is a curved fiat spring, yielding in the plane of its curve, the lower horizontal eX- tremityvof which is secured adjustably to the seatY by means of the metal loop L and setscrewv C.

The upper end of the spring R is vertical, and supports the back B, provided with the loop L and set-screw C.

The back may be lowered and raised a short distance by slidingit upon the spring; but the principal vertical adjustment is effected` by locating the loop L', or its equivalent device for fastening it to the spring, at oue'side of the back B, so that by turning the back the other side up it will stand higher or lower, as the case may be, giving a range of variation in height, indicated in the drawings by dotted port the person in the forward inclinations incident to playing. Such advanced position is entirely practicable, and does Ilot interfere with the act of seating ones self upon the stool, since in this act the body is necessarily more inclined forward than it needs to be in playing.

It is well known that the more serious effects of fatigue in long-continued practice at the piano, especially in the case of young girls, are felt in the lower portion of the back. The present invention has been prompted by observing this fact, and is found to very greatlyligh ten the labor and obviate the harmful effects of such continued practice.

The improvement above described may obviously be advantageously applied to other seats than piano-stools, as carriage-seats, invalid-chairs, &c.

Having thus described my invention, I claiml. In combination with the seat T and backsupport R, the socket L, applied to the seat to receive the horizontal end of the backsupport, and the clamp-screw C, by which said horizontal end of the back-support is adj ustably held in the socket, substantially as described, and for the purposes set forth.

2. In combination with the support It, the back B, provided with the socket-plate L' and set-screw C', placed at one margin of the back, whereby the back is vertically adjustable upon its support, both by direct bodily movement and by being turned upside down, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

AUSTIN D. HOFFMAN.

Witnesses:

' M. E. DAYTON,

JESSE Cox, Jr. 

